Article sorting apparatus



Feb. 4, 1941.

w. H. WLCOX ARTICLE soRTING APPARATUS Filed ont. 17, 193s s sheets-sheet 1 v INVENTOR W11 Wucox BY Q gmm W M.\\ .WN WN LL o j n nl] :I .IJ A al] e m n n l l m1 I w M Q E N Q n. w. t m. kw# NNMN n ATTORNEY Feb. 4, 1941. w. H. wlLcOX ARTICLE'SORTING APPARATUS 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Oct. 17, 1958 WHT/Vo'coo ATTORNEY Feb. 4, 1941. H. WILCQX 2,230,279

ARTI CLE SORT ING APPARATUS Filed Oct. 17. 1938 3 Sheets-Sheet i5 sa sa v 56 3.5

JE-G l t 57 INVENTOR WJ?. VPU/cox ATTORNEY Patented Feb. 4, 1941 PATENT GFFECE ARTICLE SORTING APPARATUS William H. Wilcox, Stockton, Calif., assigner to California Cedar Products Company, a corporation of California Application October 17, 1938, Serial No. 235,476

14 Claims.

This invention is directed in general to an article sorting device, and in particular is directed to apparatus for'assorting articles, and especially pencil slats, according to the physical character- 51 istics thereof. In the manufacture of pencil slats, the slatsv are graded for size, grain, color, defects, etc.; such grading now being done by persons who grasp a stack of slats from a conveyor and then manually assort such slats into different stacks or bins according to the grade thereof. This manner of grading is inelicient and substantially slows down the production flow of a pencil slat manufacturing plant due to the fact that each and every slat must be picked up and handled by the person grading the same.

It is therefore the principal object of this invention to provide a method of and apparatus for sorting or grading articles wherein the articles are presented on a support, such as aconveyonbe- 2" fore a person for visual inspection, are then identied by means manually actuated by the person according to grade, and are subsequently discharged from the support in segregated grades by mechanism placed in operation by said identifying means; all without any person manually removing the articles from the support. BY employing such method and apparatus, effective grading is accomplished by a minimum of time.

An additional object of the invention is 13oprovide article sorting apparatus as above wherein potential holding condensers are arranged in corresponding relation to articles on the support, and including means whereby any one of the condensers may be charged, by a person inspecting the articles, with a certain potential; there being mechanism actuated by said potential to subsequently discharge the corresponding article from the support.

A further object of the invention is the inclusion of means whereby a person may effect a discharge of the potential in any one of the condensers in the event that a grading error is made.

Another object ofy the invention is to provide article sorting apparatus, as above, wherein the articles are supported on a moving conveyor and wherein the condensers are supported for correspondingmovement adjacent .the articles; the person inspecting the articles being provided with means to selectively impart a potential of any one of several intensities to any one condenser and according to that potential Vintensity predetermined to represent a certain grade, andthe apparatus including separated mechanisms mount.-

5 5- ed adjacent the conveyor and each arranged to be placed in operation only by a condenser having a certain one of said potential charges.

A further object of the invention is to produce a relatively simple device and yet one which will be exceedingly eective for the purpose for which 5v it is designed.

These objects I accomplish by means of such structure and relative arrangement of parts as will fully appear by a perusal of the following speciiication and claims. 10,

In the drawings similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in the several views:

Figure 1 is a somewhat diagrammatic side elevation of the apparatus.

Figure 2 is an enlarged, fragmentary side elevation cf the article conveyor and associated mechanism including certain of the condensers andwiping contacts.

Figure 3 is an enlarged cross section on line 3 3 of Fig. l. 20

Figure ,4 is a perspective view of the operators glove and including the charged thimbles.

Figure 5 is a diagramgof one of the circuits employed with the apparatus.

Referring now more particularly to the characters of reference n the drawings, the apparatus comprises a relatively long horizontal table I supported by suitable means above a frame including horizontal frame members 2 and legs 3. A pair of laterally spaced endless belts 4 extend horizontally from endto end of the apparatus; these belts being supported at their ends on and driven by pulleys 5 mounted on cross shafts 6 in connection with frame members 2. The upper reaches of the belts 4 run on top of table I inv spaced, parallel relation and adjacent the side edges of said table. One of the shafts 6 is driven, in any suitable manner, to eiect like movement of both belts 4 in the direction indicated by the arrows in Fig. 1. The pencil slats S to be assorted or graded are fed onto the receiving end of the upper reaches of the moving belts 4 in flat, transversely extending position; the slats being spaced apart slightly along adjacent edges. This feeding of the slats onto the belts is accomplished 4'5 by means of any desired mechanism. The table I is of less width than the length of the slats S to be sorted and the slats when disposed on the belts project laterally beyond one side of the table in the manner shown in Fig. 3 and for the purpose liereinafterrdescribed.v

An endless chain I is carried at the ends by sprockets 8 journaled in connection with frame member 2; the chain being horizontal and disposed parallel with belts 4 but to one side of table I and with the upper reach of the chain traveling in a horizontal plane below the plane of said table. Chain 1 is driven at the same speed as belts 4 by a sprocket and chain drive, indicated generally at 9, which extends between one of the shafts 6 and the shaft for the adjacent sprocket 8.

Every other link of chain 1 is an attachment link and an outwardly extending block I0 of dielectric material is xed thereon; such blocks being elongated and mounted centrally of their ends transversely of the chain. The slats S are of a width greater than the combined width of` any two of the blocks as mounted on the chain. These blocks I8 are provided with metallic upper faces whose longitudinal edge portions are turned down and pinched in as at I2 to prevent escape of said faces. These faces each include a contact ringer I3 which projects upwardly from a point adjacent the inner end of each block, this being the end nearest the table.

The blocks are each formed with a longitudinally extending bore therethrough and a fixed condenser I4 of the cylindrical type is mounted in such bore; one end lead I5 of the condenser connecting with the corresponding face II as shown in Fig. 2, while the lead |6 at the other end is grounded to the corresponding attachment link of the chain as shown in Fig. 3.

A longitudinal row of open top bins I6 extends from a point intermediate the ends of the conveyor belts l to adjacent the discharge end thereof each of these bins being for the reception of slats of a certain grade and which are discharged from the belt conveyor, at the proper time, in the manner hereinafter described. These bins are disposed below and laterally out from the table I and on the side opposite from chain 1.

A plurality of electrically actuated slat kick oi mechanisms, indicated generally at I1, are mounted on a frame I8 above the table; each mechanism being positioned and arranged to discharge slats laterally off the belt conveyor and into one of the bins. Each of these mechanisms comprises a relatively long kicker lever I9 pivoted at 20 on frame I8 for swinging movement in a plane transversely of the conveyor. The pivot point 20 is disposed substantially vertically above the end portion of the slats which project beyond the edge of the table; the lever normally being held on a downward and outward slope, and out of the path of the projecting slat ends, by means of a tension spring 2|. Suitable stop means 22 for the lever is included in order to limit movement thereof under the innuence of thespring. An electromagnet 23 `is mounted on frame I8 with its core in a plane transversely of the conveyor and in position when actuated to act on lever I9 at a point close tor but below pivot 20 and to swing or snap the lever toward the table. With such movement, the lever strikes the end of any slat which may then be positioned in its path and throws or kicks the slat laterally oi the conveyor into the corresponding bin I6. The edge 4of the table adjacent each lever is provided with a resilient cushion 24 against which the lever engages at the end of its stroke; the cushion absorbing the shock and preventing undue noise.

A wiping contact 25 is mounted on the table in insulated relation thereto immediately below each of the mechanisms I1; these wiping contacts engaging each of the upstanding contact fingers I3 as the latter pass thereby. Beyond the mechanisms |1 and adjacent the end of the conveyor, ,another wiping contact 26 is mounted for engagement with contactngers I3; this contact 26 being grounded with the metal table and frame.

A closed receptacle 21 is mounted beneath the table adjacent each mechanism I1 and houses an electrical unit which serves to .actuate such mechanism in the manner hereinafter described. The electrical units arefidentical and each comprises a circuit-as shown in Fig. --including a thyrtron discharge tube 28 or other similar electronic relay. 'Ihe grid 29 of this tube is connected by wire 30 with one end of a limiting resistor 3|; the other end of such resistor being connected, as .at 32, with one end of another rewith a wire 34 grounded at 35. A lead in wire 36 is connected to the corresponding wiper con-f tact 25 and leads to the connection 32 between condensers 3| and 33.

The 21/2 volt current for the lilament 31 of the tube is supplied by wires 38 from the low voltage secondary winding 39 of a power transformer 40 whose input or primary winding leads 4I .are connected with v. A. C. lines 42. YThe plate 43 of the tube is connected by wire 44 with one terminal of the electromagnet 23 of the corresponding mechanism I1; the other terminal of the electromagnet being connected by wire 45 with one lead of the high voltage (440v volt) secondary winding 46 of transformer 40.

The other lead from the secondary winding 46 is connected by a wire 41 to one end of a bias resistor 48 (30,000-'ohms) whose other end is connected to wire 49`which is tapped into secondary winding 46 intermediate its ends. Another wire 50 leads from wire 49 to the initial turn of the low voltage secondary winding 35. From a point intermediate the ends of resistor 48, a lead 5I is tapped off and extends to connection ywith wire 34. vA fixed condenser 52 is wired between wires 44 and 45 ahead of the electromagnet and this condenser kills any inductive kick back in the circuit and which might otherwise damage the insulation in the coil.

Each of the circuits of the four electrical units is normally biased, and the circuits are set so that the tube 28 in eachbecomes unbalanced upon a different potential charge flowing'into the circuit through wire 36. The-circuit of the unit for the mechanism I1 nearest the receiving end of the conveyor requiring a predetermined potential charge to actuate said circuit; the circuits of the units for the remaining mechanisms I1 each requiring a less potential than the circuit ofv the unit for the next preceding mechanism I1.

Y When the tube of .anyone circuit is unbalanced,r

an instantaneous current flows through wires 44 and 45 of such circuit and actuates the magnet which in turn swings the corresponding lever in a slat discharging direction. The circuit which I have described above is preferred .al-v

though other similar circuits may be employed.

Operation apparatus is designed tovsegregate pencil slats into five grades; four grades being discharged into corresponding bins I6, and the fifth grade permitted to pass to the discharge end of the conveyor. The four grades to be discharged from the conveyor into the bins correspondby predetermination-With the' different potential charges required to actuate the circuits and mechanisms I1.

The operator wears a dielectric glove 53 on one hand; such glove at the nger tips having metallic thimbles 54 fitted thereon. A five wire electric cord 55 leads from a conventional power supply unit 56 which receives current from 110 volt A. C. Wires 51. The thimbles 54 of four fingers of the glove are each charged through one of the Wires of cord 55 from the power supply unit and with potentials proportionate to the potentials required to actuate the four electrical units and mechanisms I1, and which potentials also correspond to the four slat grades. For example, the four thimbles will be chargedin consecutive order-With potentials of 10, 20, 30 and 40 volts; all of one polarity and preferably positive. The remaining thimble, preferably the one on the thumb, carries a negative or ground potential; the Wire for said thumb thimble being grounded .as at G.

As the slats pass in view of the operator they are inspected and all of the so-called fth grade are permitted to pass. However, when a slat of one of the four grades appears, the operator touches the metal face II of a block IU, which is alined with such slat, with the charged thimble having the potential which corresponds to the grade of such slat. This charges the condenser in such block with a like potential. The block and its charged condenser move along with chain 'I at the same speed as the conveyor, and the contact nger I3 of the block engages each Wiping contact 25 as it passes. When the finger I3 engages the wiping contact included in the circuit which is set to be actuated by a potential of the intensity which the condenser of such block is carrying, such circuit imparts a current instantaneously to the electromagnet, the lever I9 of which in turn snaps toward and strikes the end of the selected slat and discharges the same laterally off the conveyor into the proper bin I6. If the condenser in the block should retain any of the charge, this is grounded out by wiping contact 26 which is disposed beyond the mechanisms II.

By means of the apparatus and method described, slats visually identified for segregation b v grade, can be manually identied by the operator charging an alined block supported condenser with a corresponding potential charge, and there- :after the apparatus automatically segregates the slats. The grading and segregating according to grade of articles, such as pencil slats, lcan thus be accomplished more rapidly than when done directly by hand, more eiciently, and with a minimum of error. Should an operator charge one condenser by error, the glove thimble of negative or ground potential is .touched 1to the corresponding plate and the `original charge grounded out.

From the foregoing .description vit will be readily seen that I have produced such a device as substantially fulfills the objects of the invention as set forth herein.

While this speciiication sets .forth in detail the present and preferred construction of the device, still in practice lsuch deviations from such detail may'be resorted to' as do not form a departure from the spirit of the invention, as defined by the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, what IY claim as new and useful and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. Article sorting apparatus comprising a mov'- able support adapted to receive a plurality of articles thereon for visual inspection, a plurality of condensers disposed adjacent .the support' and movable therewith in unchanging relative position, Ione `condenser corresponding to each article, manually actuated means to `charge any one condenser With a given potential, an article discharging mechanism mounted adjacent the support, the support being adapted to move relative thereto, and means placed in operation by the potential in said one condenser to actuate said discharge mechanism when the article corresponding to' said condenser is movedto a. position for discharge by said mechanism.

2. Article .sorting apparatus comprising a conveyor adapted to receive a plurali-ty oi articles for visual inspection, a .plurali-ty of condensers disposed adjacent the Iconveyor and moving therewith in unchanging relative position, one condenser corresponding to -each article, a plurality of article discharging mechanisms disposed adjacent the conveyor in spaced relation, separate electrical means arranged lto actuate each such mechanism, said means each being placed in operation by a difieren-t potential, means to successively connect the individual condensers in circuit with said electrical means when the condensers reach points in `their travel such that the corresponding articles are then in position to be discharged by the mechanisms, and manually actuated means -to charge any condenser with any one of such d-iiierent ypotentials selectively.

3. An apparatus as in claim 2 in which each separate electrical means includes a circuit having a normally balanced electronic relay interposed therein; the circuit initially connected with any .one charged condenser being set to unbalance and pass an .actuating current to the corresponding mechanism upon a predetermined lpotential being received from said condenser; the circuits of lthe following electrical means each requiring a less potential to unbalan-ce the same than the circuit of the next preceding electrical means.

4. Article sorting apparatus including a horizontal conveyor adapted to receive a r-oW of articles in single iile order for visual inspection, a plurality of condens-ers disposed adjacent the conveyor and moving therewith in unchanging relative position, one condenser being -alined with each article, an exposed charging plate mounted with each condenser, .a plurality of .article .discharging mechanisms disposed adjacent the conveyor in spaced relation, separate electrical means. arranged to actuate each such mechanisms, said means each being .placed in operation by a diieren-t potential, means to successively connect the individual condensers in circuit with said electrical means when the condensers reach ,points in theirv travel such that the corresponding articles are then in position to be discharged by the mechanisms, and manually actuated means adapted to touch any one of said condenser charging plates and to charge the corresponding condenser with any one of such different potentials.

5. A device as in clai-m 4 in which said manually actuated means includes a glove adapted to be worn by a person visually inspecting the articles; said glove including a plurality of metallic thimbles on the ends of Icertain lingers, a power supply unit,.and separate wires connecting such unit and each thimble and charging each with one of such different potenti-als.

6. A device as in claim 4 in which said manually actuated means includes a glove adapted to be worn by a .person visually inspecting the articles; said glove including a plurality of metallic thimbles on the ends of .the fingers, a 4power supply unit, and separate wires connecting such unit with each thimble, a plurality of the thimbles being charged with such different potentials lbut all of like polarity, while another thimble carries a ypotential of opposed polarity.

7. Article sorting apparatus including a conveyor adapted to receive `a row of articles in single le order for inspection, a mechanism mounted adjacent the conveyor and arranged to discharge individual arti-cles from the conveyor, said mechanism including an electromagnet, normally inactive electrical means to energize said electromlagnet, :a plurality of ycondensers disposed adjacent the conveyor and moving therewith in unchanging relative position, one condenser corresponding to each article, means to charge any4 one of said condenser-s With a vpotential of suicient intensity -to actuate said electrical means, and means Ito connect each of said condensers with said electrical means when each of the condensers reaches a point in its travel such that the corresponding article is then in posi-tion to be discharged from the conveyor by said mechanism.

8. Article sorting apparatus comprising a conveyor adapted to receive a plurality of articles thereon for visual inspection, manually actuated means to identify the passing articles with identifying media corresponding to certain grades, and other means placed in operation by said identifying media to segregate said articles according to such grades; said manually actuated means including a plurality of condensers disposed adjacent the conveyor and moving therewith in unchanging relative position.

9. Article sorting apparatus comprising a conveyor adapted to receive a plurality of articles thereon, means to identify passing articles with identifying media, and other means placed in operation by said identifying media to segregate the identified articles; said first named means including a plurality of electric potential holding elements associated with the conveyor and moving in predetermined relation thereto.

10. Apparatus as in claim 8 in which said manually actuated means includes a glove adapted to be worn by a person visually inspecting the articles, a plurality of metallic thimbles on the ends of 'certain ngers of the g1ove,'a power supply unit and wires connected between the power supply unit and thimbles and arranged to supplyY a pre# determined potential to each thereof; each condenser havingan exposed charging member.

11. An apparatus as in claim 8 in which 'the conveyor is of the endless belt type; the condensers being mounted on an endless chain mounted for travel in the same direction andat the same speed as the conveyor belt, the .upper reaches of the conveyor and chain being disposed parallel to each other and Vin relatively close proximity to each other. Y Y

12. An apparatus as in claim 8 in which the conveyor is of the endless belt type; the'condensers being` mounted on an endless chain mounted for travel in the same direction and at the same speed as theV conveyor belt, the upper reach of the conveyor being substantially horizontal, and the corresponding reach of the chain being disposed parallel with, laterally out, and oiset downwardly relative to said upper reach of the conveyor.

13. Article sorting apparatus comprising a conveyor adapted to receive a plurality of -articles for visual inspection, a plurality of 'condensers disposed adjacent the conveyor and moving there with in unchanging relative position, one cori-A denser corresponding to each article, manually actuated means to charge any condenser with a potential, an article discharging mechanism disposed adjacent the conveyor', electrical means arranged to be placed in operation by said potential and to actuate such mechanismy and means to successively connect the individual condensers in circuit with said velectrical means when the condensers reach a point in their travel such that the corresponding article is then 4in positio to be discharged bythe mechanism; said last named means including an exposed metallic charging plate electrically connected with each condenser, a' contact nger projecting from the charging plate, and a wiping contact arranged in circuit With said electrical means and mounted for engagement with the contact finger.

14. Apparatus as in claim 13 including an;y other wiping contact mounted beyond said first named wiping contact and arranged to ground out any potential which may remain in dany one previously charged condenser.

WILLIAM VH. WILCQX; 

